Medical Transcription Editing

What is Medical Transcription Editing?

Medical transcription editing is the process of reviewing an initial medical report to the dictated audio file. The medical transcription editor will check for errors and make edits as needed. The initial medical report can be created by either speech recognition technology or by another medical transcriptionist.

What Does a Medical Transcription Editor Do?

Medical transcription editors listen to doctor dictation and compare it to the initial medical record created by speech recognition technology or another medical transcriptionist. Since speech recognition technology is unable to completely and accurately create electronic documents, medical transcription editors are needed to review, edit and correct the documents created by the speech recognition software. With so many ways to pronounce the same words, words that sound the same, speech accents, ESL doctors, and background noises, speech recognition will not be able to accurately transcribe medical reports. Medical transcription editors are also needed to review and edit reports created by other medical transcriptionists.

How to Become a Medical Transcription Editor

Medical transcription editors typically have completed postsecondary training in medical transcription editing (medical transcription editing certificate). Many AHDI-approved schools are now offering medical transcription editing as part of their medical transcription training course. A medical transcription editor should know how to do both medical transcription as well as medical transcription editing. National certification is not required however is recommended as an extra credential on your resume. You can learn more about medical transcription and editing certification on our certifications page.

Speech Recognition Technology

Speech recognition technology allows physicians and other health professionals to dictate medical reports to a computer, which immediately creates an electronic document. In spite of the advances in this technology, the software has been slow to grasp and analyze the human voice, the English language, and the medical vernacular with all its diversity. As a result, there will continue to be a need for skilled medical transcriptionists to identify and appropriately edit the inevitable errors created by speech recognition systems and to create a final document. Source: US Department of Labor Occupational Handbook 2014-15 Edition